The atmosphere on Miuradai's bench was extremely tense.
Kengo Murasame's eyes were bloodshot, and he asked in a bewildered voice, "Coach, how should we play the next ball?"
The other team members also looked over, their eyes vacant as they awaited instructions.
Looking at the group of players who had lost all fighting spirit, the coach of Miuradai did not answer immediately.
Then, in the suffocating silence, he suddenly burst into laughter.
The laughter was full of self-deprecation.
Murasame and the others were stunned, looking at the coach in confusion.
What does that mean?
"Play ball?"
The coach repeated Murasame's question, and said helplessly, "What's the point of playing ball anymore!"
He pointed at Kawamoto on the Shohoku bench, his voice suddenly rising. " Shohoku's number 15... You can't defend him by one person, and three of you guarding him is like leaving two opponents wide open."
Not only did they get the ball stolen, they also couldn't get the rebound.
"Tell me, how do I play this ball?"
He practically roared it out, spittle flying from his mouth.
The Miuradai team members trembled at the shout.
The coach took a few deep breaths, as if he had exhausted all his strength, and slumped back into his chair.
When he spoke again, his voice had softened.
"That's enough..."
He waved his hand and said calmly, "Actually, I didn't have high hopes for you guys to begin with."
The people at Miuradai stared at their coach in disbelief.
The coach didn't look at them; his eyes were fixed on the scoreboard: 26-0.
Only two teams from the county-level competition can ultimately go on to compete nationally.
He stated a fact. " Murasame, you always say that Ryonan is just lucky, Shoyo is just good at shooting, Kainan will be dethroned sooner or later... But we all know in our hearts that we really can't beat them, we can't beat any of them..."
He paused, his voice growing even lower. "So losing early isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least you won't waste time and energy fighting for a future that's impossible to achieve."
"Coach!"
Murasame's voice trembled. "You... you're abandoning us?"
"Nonsense!" the coach suddenly shouted, but there was no anger in his eyes.
He sighed, his tone turning somber again. "We shouldn't have dreamt of conquering Kainan and then marching into the whole country. Dreams are such things..."
He gave a smile that looked more like a grimace, "It has to be based on doing what you're capable of, otherwise it's all just empty talk and self-pity, and you'll only fall harder when you finally succeed."
Looking at the bewildered faces of the young people before him, he thought about things further ahead.
" Murasame, Araki, Kawasaki, Takatsu, Miyamoto, wake up! Look at the world right now! Economic winter! Jobs are hard to find, money is hard to earn. Don't you know how your grades are doing?"
He looked at them one by one, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Without athletic talent, how could you possibly get into university after graduating high school?"
What happens if you can't get into university?
"Work in a factory? Be a waiter? Or just drift through life doing nothing?"
He took a deep breath and said the cruelest and most realistic thing, "Instead of worrying about a game you can't win, or making yourself miserable for a pipe dream, you should use your brains to think about what you can do after graduation and how you'll survive."
Don't wait until graduation to realize that you can't do anything except play a couple of basketballs.
"You'll find that it's a million times worse than losing."
After saying this, the coach closed his eyes and said nothing more.
The bench at Miuradai was deathly silent.
Kengo Murasame stood there, stunned.
The other team members' eyes also shifted from confusion to fear for the future.
Just five minutes ago they thought playing basketball was great and fun...
But five minutes later, the reality they faced was: how would they survive after graduation?
This is fucking ridiculous!
The referee blew his whistle, and the timeout ended.
The players of Miuradai slowly walked towards the court.
Their steps were heavy, and they had long lost the momentum they had before the start of the game.
The score no longer matters; the outcome of the game seems irrelevant.
The important thing is how they will face the cold and cruel world that their coach spoke of after the game.
On the Shohoku side, after leaving the court, Kawamoto Kazuki walked up to Anzai and bowed slightly.
" Anzai, you can substitute me now."
Anzai looked up at Kawamoto.
The boy's face showed no boastfulness, no fatigue, only the calm of someone who had completed a task.
The game is indeed dead.
"Hehehe... that's fine too."
Anzai nodded and gestured to Ayako.
Five up and five down in Shohoku.
Takenori Akagi, Kaede Rukawa, Ryota Miyagi, Hisashi Mitsui, and Hanamichi Sakuragi had been itching to watch for a long time.
The Shohoku main lineup, which had been holding back their energy, finally made their appearance.
However, they were facing a new Miuradai migrant worker team that was worried about the future.
Akagi established position in the paint, easily blocking Akio Kawasaki's outstretched hand for the ball.
Miyagi passed the ball in without any resistance.
Akagi turned around, ready to unleash his Gorilla Dunk.
But he found that Kawasaki's defense in front of him was weak and ineffective, and he didn't even seem to be jumping to block the shot.
Akagi easily slotted the ball in.
After landing, he frowned and looked at Kengo Murasame, who was standing next to him staring at the floor, seemingly lost in thought.
"Hey! Murasame!"
Akagi couldn't help but yell, "Aren't you going to help defend? Where's your defense?"
Murasame slowly raised her head and glanced at Akagi.
"Go find someone else to fight, Akagi. I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now."
Akagi was stunned.
Urged on by the referee, Hiroshi Takatsu reluctantly served the ball to Murasame.
Murasame stood still, only raising his hand slightly.
He let the basketball brush past his fingers and fall into Hisashi Mitsui's hands.
He continued, "Hey, Araki, I remember you said before that you had a friend named Yoji who worked in real estate investment at a big company, right? He made a fortune during the bubble economy and even said he'd show you the world. How's it going now? The market shouldn't be so bad anymore, right?"
Araki, who was defending Mitsui, didn't even look at Mitsui, and replied with a perfunctory wave of his hand.
"Oh, Ji- Ueki, he jumped off the roof of the company building last year."
Murasame:!!!
Mitsui:???
Mitsui, with the ball in his hands, doesn't even need to make any movement; there's no space for him within three meters.
He adjusted his position and sank the three-pointer.
The ball went in, but why does it feel even worse than if it hadn't?
Hearing their conversation, Hiroshi Takatsu walked over and muttered, "Really... no wonder I haven't heard you mention it lately."
Small forward Miyamoto walked over and suddenly chimed in out of the blue, "That guy next door who runs an izakaya, he used to brag all the time about opening a chain. Guess what happened? He sold the place last week and is now struggling to find a job."
Kawasaki lowered his head, his muffled voice coming out. "My dad's company laid off a third of its employees. He comes home drunk every day, apologizing to his old subordinates who have worked for him for twenty years."
He paused, then added, "My mom now works part-time at the supermarket every night to supplement our family income. She says the discounted, near-expiry food is actually quite fresh."
Murasame suddenly spoke in a deep, resonant voice. "I'm... a graduate of University of Tokyo."
There was a lingering pride in his tone, but it quickly faded.
"After searching for a job for six months, I finally got a job as a salesman at a small printing factory. I ride my bicycle around all day. He said I'm lucky if I get paid on time."
No one answered.
However, the shadow of graduation had already loomed over the young man from Miuradai.
This is far more suffocating than a 31-point difference.
After all, what does the outcome of a single match matter when it comes to survival?
Their gazes toward Akagi and the others were filled with sympathy.
These silly kids from Shohoku, hurry up and grow up!
The main force of Shohoku also felt a sense of powerlessness.
This isn't a competition at all; it's a one-sided exhibition match.
It wasn't even a performance, because the other person had no interest in cooperating.
On the bench of Shohoku High School.
" Kawamoto- kun."
Anzai's voice was unusually serious.
Kawamoto sat up straight. "Yes, Coach."
Anzai carefully examined the silent boy in front of him through his glasses.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "I saw today's match very clearly."
"Your strength must be far more than this."
Kawamoto nodded.
Anzai's voice was soft, but every word was clear.
"To be honest, I don't know how you managed to reach this level at such a young age."
He then changed the subject.
But there's one thing I'm sure of.
"With the abilities you've demonstrated so far, the Kanagawa High School Basketball League is practically meaningless to you."
Kawamoto's eyelashes trembled slightly.
Anzai's gaze seemed to pierce through the walls of the stadium, reaching further afield. "However, it's hard to say if we look at the national picture."
" Japan is a big country. Maybe somewhere there are high school students just like you, or even stronger."
He looked at Kawamoto again and asked a crucial question, "If you lead Shohoku to national domination... Kawamoto, what are your dreams?"
"For example... going to the United States?"
The air seemed to fall silent for a moment.
Kawamoto Kazuki looked at Anzai appearance was completely different from his usual White-Haired Buddha- like self.
Without hesitation, he calmly nodded. "Yes, Coach. I will go."
This answer didn't seem to surprise Anzai.
But a very complex expression still flashed across his face.
However, Kawamoto's words did not end there.
He continued, "But not now."
Anzai's eyes showed a question.
"I read an old China saying in a book: 'While your parents are alive, do not travel far.'"
He looked at Anzai, his eyes clear and firm. "You may not know my family situation. My mother is in poor health, just recovering from a serious illness, and needs a long period of careful recuperation. United States is far across the ocean; once we go there, no one knows what might happen."
He paused for a moment, then continued with the most practical considerations.
"Besides, our family isn't wealthy. Even if we managed to go to United States now, without sufficient financial support, we'd only suffer there, possibly achieving nothing, and might even become a burden to my mother."
"So I will stay in Shohoku, stay in Japan. I'll be there for my mother, helping her fully recover, while I continue to hone my skills and build up my strength. I also need time to accumulate enough resources to support my dreams."
"Or..."
His gaze returned to the stands.
"Waiting for an opportunity."
After saying this, Kawamoto withdrew his gaze and quietly looked at Anzai.
Anzai remained silent for a long time.
He simply looked at Kawamoto, the complex emotions on his face gradually settling into admiration.
This boy not only possesses terrifying talent and strength, but also a maturity far beyond his years.
He was not blinded by passion, nor was he blinded by dreams.
He knew clearly that the road ahead had to be taken step by step, that he had a responsibility on his shoulders, and that dreams needed a realistic foundation.
a long time...
Anzai's familiar smile slowly returned to his face.
But his eyes were brighter than ever before.
He gently patted Kawamoto's arm, his voice regaining its usual calmness, yet containing immense power. "Hehehe... a very good idea. So, while we wait for that opportunity..."
"How about we become number one in Japan first?"
I will do my best to help you.
It's not an inquiry, it's an invitation!
It's not a request, it's an agreement!
Seeing the trust and expectation in Anzai's eyes, Kawamoto Kazuki nodded solemnly. "Yes, Coach. I will do my best."